Family Safari
Lion World Tours debuted a new 11-day family budget safari for $4,040 per adult and $1,799 per child, double occupancy, including roundtrip airfare and all taxes. 
This special price is valid for a range of dates from January through May and August through October 2013. Airfare is included from New York or Washington, D.C. on South African Airways. The Family Affair package includes four nights in Cape Town and two nights each at two different safari lodges/tented camps as well as internal flights within South Africa, eight breakfasts, four lunches and five dinners. In Cape Town, the trip includes a cable car ride to the top of Table Mountain, a visit to the Two Oceans Aquarium, Cape Point Tour and a dinner at the Gold Restaurant at the Gold of Africa Museum. At the Thandeka Lodge in the Waterberg Mountain Range, your family will experience a guided cheetah bushwalk, White Lion drive, sunset and sunrise game drives and bird watching. The trip ends at Lakeside or Ravineside Lodge in the Entabeni Safari Conservancy with a scenic helicopter flight, stargazing in the observatory, sunset lake cruises, game viewing and visits to the Predator Centre and the Rhino Orphanage.
Mini Dukes and Duchesses
Duke’s St. James in London is offering a new Mini Dukes and Duchesses Package with dress-up costumes, afternoon tea and kid friendly treats. With the package, book any room or suite and get a second children’s room for free for children up to age 18! Rates for two rooms start at £390 (approximately $634) per night with breakfast through January 13, 2013. That’s a 50% savings on standard hotel rates! Your children can enjoy the option to dress up in pint-sized gowns, tiaras and Windsor-style uniforms for afternoon tea. Whatever the occasion, children are always treated like royalty at the hotel. Kid-friendly amenities include a cuddly Dukesy dog toy for guests under age six and a bedtime storybook for older children. There are also kid-size slippers and Playstation games in room. The hotel is located in Mayfair close to Buckingham Palace, Hyde Park and the West End.
New Tauck Bridges 2013
Tauck Bridges recently announced four new trips for families.
- Philadelphia to Washington, DC – Discovers what makes the U.S.A. unique in historic Philadelphia, Amish Country, Gettysburg, Mount Vernon & Washington, DC
- Ireland – Celebrates life Irish-style, from Irish music to making Celtic jewelry and pottery, to legendary storytelling and hawking – from Dublin to Killarney and the Cliffs of Moher
- Peru – Explores the land of the Incas and Spanish conquistadores in Colonial Lima and Cusco, the Sacred Valley and the “lost” city of Machu Picchu
- France Family River Cruise – Two nights and sightseeing in Paris, plus a 7-night Rhône Valley cruise aboard Tauck’s ms Swiss Emerald; exploring from the culinary capital of Lyon to van Gogh’s inspiration, Arles, Avignon and more
Amsterdam by Boat
Amsterdam canals can be explored a variety of ways. 
Hertz is now offering a new option with a Rent a Boat program that offers a fleet of rental vessels that include, among others, luxury motorboats, gondolas and large boats able to accommodate up to 35 people. The rental program, offered in partnership with Boot Amsterdam, allows you to pilot the vessel yourself or sit back while a skipper does the driving. Hourly rates start at about $6 per person and about $185 per boat. The large boats come loaded with party-friendly features, such as a kitchen and bar, sound system and, by special arrangement, chefs and catering services. The company will also arrange theme outings to celebrate special events. Those who pilot their own boat will appreciate the many sightseeing options as you moor next to such big-ticket attractions as the flower market, Royal Palace on Dam Square, the Westertoren church tower, Van Gogh museum and the Rijksmuseum.
Thomson Family Villa Adventures
Adventure tour operator, Thomson Family Adventures, is adding villa based tours perfect for large families and multi-generational groups. 
The tours will be created as private family trips which The Family Traveler has coordinated with Thomson in a variety of destinations with great success. Destinations where villas are available include Peru, Ecuador, Costa Rica and Turkey. Privacy and exclusivity are also a great benefit for using a villa, even for adventure style travel. You’ll have all of the Thomson features like a private guide, transportation for your group and included activities depending on your interests. And only unpack once! In 2013, Thomson is also rolling out two more destinations with the Smithsonian stamp of experiential learning: Ecuador and the Galapagos and Panama. Did you know the Smithsonian Institute has research stations in Panama? You’ll visit one of their initiatives, the Punta Culebra Nature Centre, to learn about ocean habitats.
Family Getaway to Peru
Inkaterra, a Peru tour operator specializing in sustainable tourism and conservation, is offering a Family Getaway package that combines the Amazon rainforest and Machu Picchu.The package includes two nights at Inkaterra Reserve Amazonia and two nights at Inkaterra Machu Picchu Pueblo Hotel, as well as a twilight river excursion through one of the Amazon tributaries, a guided walk along the Inkaterra Canopy Walkway, a visit to Inkaterra’s Butterfly House, an organic tea-making lesson for children and a sunrise tour of Machu Picchu. The four-night package includes all private transfers to and from airports and train station; tea time at Inkaterra Reserve Amazonia; welcome drink; daily breakfast, lunch and dinner at each property; premium service train tickets from Cusco to Machu Picchu and back; private guided excursions in Machu Picchu and the Amazon rainforest; a private half-day excursion to Machu Picchu Citadel; a spa session and treatment for adults at both locations and children’s explorer kits at each property. Based on a family of two adults and two children under 12, the land package is priced from $1,850 per adult and $700 per child, and is available through November 30.
Family Moments in Luxury
Peninsula Hotels’ nine luxury properties in Asia and the United States are offering the Family Moments package featuring a second room for half off for children 12 and under. Breakfast is also included for the family with children eating free from the kids’ menu or buffet. Internet access is also included. The hotels also feature the Peninsula Kids Academy’s, a collection of cultural and fun activities in each destination to engage your children in a wide variety of cooking experiences, local handcrafts and scavenger hunts. Activities vary by location and some have an additional cost. This offer is available through the end of the year at most of the properties. Peninsula hotels are located in New York, Chicago, Beverly Hills, Shanghai, Beijing, Tokyo, Hong Kong, Bangkok and Manila. Next year the Peninsula chain will open their first hotel in Europe and 10th property in Paris. This offer is available through the end of the year at most of the properties.
Families in India
Greaves will put its 14-day Family India escorted tour program back on its roster for 2013. 
The tour includes visits to Delhi, Agra, Jaipur and Shimla in the Himalayas with luxury accommodations at Oberoi Hotels and Resorts. Highlights of the Family India program are the changing of the guards ceremony in New Delhi, visiting a bear rescue sanctuary, camel and elephant rides, village festivals in Rajasthan, the Taj Mahal, riding a train into the mountains, and trekking in the foothills of the Himalayas. The program features luxury accommodations at The Oberoi New Delhi, The Oberoi Amarvilas in Agra, The Oberoi Rajvilas in Jaipur, The Oberoi Cecil in Shimla and The Trident, Gurgaon. Transportation is by private air-conditioned vehicles with driver for sightseeing, transfers and excursions on the itinerary. The escorted group program is kept to a maximum of 12 guests. Special prices for children are available.
Tauck Travel
Book 8 people on any Tauck Bridges tour for travel in 2012 and your 9th traveler goes free! Tauck reminds The Family Traveler that family group travel is really popular around the school holidays and that their family tours holiday departures sell out quickly. Their most popular group destinations throughout the year are Africa, Italy and Yellowstone – and River Cruising. Book early to secure your family’s space! For group travel (a minimum of 8 people), a $500 deposit is all that is required to hold your space. The deposit is due within two weeks of the booking date and is refundable up until 120 days before departure. Also past guests receive one free hotel night before or after their tour if booked by December 28.
A Very Potter London
London’s Rubens at The Palace, a member of the Red Carnation Hotels portfolio, is now offering a Harry Potter Experience package. Your family will receive
complimentary breakfast and a black cab with a qualified driver/guide providing a three-hour guided tour of the London film locations used in all eight films. Sites include Platform 9 ¾, Diagon Alley and The Leaky Cauldron, Leadenhall Market, Gringotts Wizarding Bank, the route of the Knight Bus and more. The package can be added on to any other Family Value offers at the hotel. Your rate includes accommodations in an Executive Suite; full English breakfast for the whole family on the day of the tour; Harry Potter tour; Harry Potter wand with cloak and glasses for the kids; Harry Potter cupcakes at turndown; framed family photograph taken at the start of the tour; and a certificate that acknowledges completion of the tour. The taxi can take a maximum of four guests and a minimum two-night stay applies. This package is valid until December 31. Prices start from $965 per night (excluding VAT) based on two adults and two children under 10 years sharing an Executive Suite (children sharing sofa bed).
